USMNT To Face Ecuador And Australia In October Ahead Of 2026 World Cup

Last Updated:July 15, 2025, 11:37 IST

The USMNT will play Ecuador on October 10 and Australia on October 14, gaining valuable experience against World Cup-bound teams ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The USA football team. (AP Photo)

The US men’s national football team is all set to face two World Cup-qualified sides, Ecuador and Australia, in October, heightening the excitement ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held at home.

Playing against these two top-25-ranked sides in the world offers the USMNT a valuable opportunity to compete against other World Cup-bound teams, previewing the opponents and styles they may encounter next summer.

Ecuador will be making its fifth World Cup appearance, joining Argentina and Brazil as one of the three South American teams already confirmed for the tournament. Australia bagged its World Cup spot by finishing second in its group during the third round of Asian Football Confederation qualifiers, marking the nation’s sixth successive World Cup appearance.

The USA will first host Ecuador on October 10 at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. The sides have an even 5W-5L-5D record against each other, with the series resuming for the first time since a 1-0 USA win on March 21.

In Texas, the USA also has a balanced record against Ecuador, with a 1W-1L-1D in previous meetings in Houston, Fort Worth and Frisco. A notable encounter between the two sides was during the 2016 Copa America Centenario, where the USA achieved a 2-1 win in Seattle to advance to the semifinals.

Four days later, the USA will play Australia in Commerce City, Colorado, on October 14.

The USMNT has faced Australia just thrice in its history, holding a 1W-1L-1D record. Their most recent match was 15 years ago on June 5, 2010, in a final tune-up before the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

USA won 3-1, with Edson Buddle scoring twice and Herculez Gomez sealing the win with a stoppage-time goal in Roodepoort, South Africa. The sides have met twice on US soil, resulting in a 0-0 draw in San Jose in 1998 and a 1-0 loss in Orlando in 1992.

These games will follow September friendlies against South Korea and Japan. Earlier this month, the USMNT lost 2-1 to Mexico in the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

(With IANS Inputs)

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